Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052 #18117]

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terryo
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Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052 #18117]

Post by terryo »

Is there a way to make the MM5 version of Add/Rescan files function as it did in MM4. With 240,000 songs and a complex filing system, I can't figure out how to use the new Add/Rescan as efficiently as the old one with the large numbers of download I receive from record labels each month.
Lowlander
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by Lowlander »

Please describe the problem you're trying to solve. You could just have an incoming folder you scan and then Auto-Organize into the main Library.
Barry4679
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by Barry4679 »

terryo wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 10:36 am Is there a way to make the MM5 version of Add/Rescan files function as it did in MM4. With 240,000 songs and a complex filing system, I can't figure out how to use the new Add/Rescan as efficiently as the old one
There is not too much of a difference between MM4 & MM5.
  • the directory browsing tree has been moved; now behind the Add Location button
  • auto folder monitoring has moved to the drop-down Schedule control
There are a couple of small improvements:
  • the Help icon on the windows frame leads to useful information
  • The Media Type control has been added to enable manually overriding of Media Type (Podcast, Music, Classical Music, etc)
  • you can now delete unwanted locations from the list, via the right click menu, or the trash can icon which becomes visible if you hover on a row
Where are you having a problem? Is it that the new Add Location mechanism takes an extra two clicks to locate a new rip location? ... Once you have added a location it does remains available, unless you delete it.

Thinking about your Use Case, maybe you would be better assisted if a Location row's right click menu contained an Edit Location option, which opened the folder tree at the current location, so that you could easily alter it?
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IanRTaylorUK
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by IanRTaylorUK »

I haven't tried this yet, but I was thinking about continuously scanning a "downloads" folder and then using Auto-organise to move to the right Music / Artist / Album. In which case it might look something like this:

https://octoberclub-my.sharepoint.com/: ... w?e=zFI2jx

I did run some cross-checks a few months ago - comparing the time MMW4 took to rescan vs MMW5. In my case (35k files) MMW5 was 20-30 seconds whereas MMW4 was from ~1m to 1h (depending on the selected node).
Ian Taylor
terryo
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by terryo »

So I gather there is no way to bring the folder tree back into add/rescan in MM5?

The scan function is an extremely poor substitute. e.g, I have 3,500 albums in my jazz folder & 2,000 in folk... It was much faster an easier to simply check boxes on the folder tree for the one or two albums I am trying to add.
terryo
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by terryo »

From my perspective, the best rework of the MM4 add/rescan would be to allow the box with the folder tree to be resizable, maybe even full screen, and show multiple columns as file explorer does in Windows.
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by Peke »

terryo wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 12:55 pm From my perspective, the best rework of the MM4 add/rescan would be to allow the box with the folder tree to be resizable, maybe even full screen, and show multiple columns as file explorer does in Windows.
Can you please elaborate a bit Add Location -> Local Storage contain Check boxes like in MM4 only thing is missing Add line for Manual adding single folder.
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Peke
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Lowlander
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by Lowlander »

In MediaMonkey 4, as you have the while tree with checkboxes displayed, you can quickly check off individual folders for scanning. In MediaMonkey 5 you need to go through the many-step process of adding individual folders for scanning.

For most this isn't an issue as they have few locations to scan (like a single new files folder).
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by Peke »

Hi,
I agree 100% Like Lowlander said "For most", but still looks liek tehre is space for improvement add as https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=18052
Best regards,
Peke
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Ludek
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5

Post by Ludek »

Lowlander wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:19 pm In MediaMonkey 4, as you have the while tree with checkboxes displayed, you can quickly check off individual folders for scanning. In MediaMonkey 5 you need to go through the many-step process of adding individual folders for scanning.
I don't see this issue, there is still the tree with checkboxes in 'Add folders' dialog.
i.e. just click the [Add location...] > Local storage... > and select multiple folders in the folder tree
Lowlander
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052]

Post by Lowlander »

Yes, but if you wanted to add another sub-folder multiple levels down, you have to open the tree again as you're adding a new Location to be scanned. Also you won't see what's already selected.
terryo
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052]

Post by terryo »

Geez. All this splitting hairs. MM presents itself as a player for power users. Yet here is a changed feature where the amount of time I am required to maintain my ever changing library is significantly increased over the MM4 version. I either have to wait while MM5 needlessly churns through many files already in my library to find a small number of changes or I have to go through a much longer string of clicks to get the job done. What is this? Power users no longer matter? I am disappointed.
Peke
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052]

Post by Peke »

terryo wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 12:14 pm Geez. All this splitting hairs. MM presents itself as a player for power users. Yet here is a changed feature where the amount of time I am required to maintain my ever changing library is significantly increased over the MM4 version. I either have to wait while MM5 needlessly churns through many files already in my library to find a small number of changes or I have to go through a much longer string of clicks to get the job done. What is this? Power users no longer matter? I am disappointed.
May I ask have you read my added bug at https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=18052 ?
Few facts:
- Power users are important they always was
- MM5 against MM4 have support for far more usage cases than MM4 and support much more metadata that needs to be read
- After 15+ years of developing MM4 needed refreshment in order to be up to date with current trends and user needs
- MM4 useful and power features in MM4 were hidden for basic users, where MM5 mixed them in to single feature in order to make users more familiar with them (like Add/Rescan+File Monitoring)

Unfortunately with every good intention there is downside and usually paved with more hard polish work.

That said in this particular case I agree that basic users get slowly, but more clearly introduced into MM Library and managing. Unfortunately due the Joining of two feature power users (me included) lost their quick shortcuts and small features. Thus I can't wait to see your example (Step by step) of what we broke, what you miss (some already pointed and added to referred bug) and what new and exiting we can make/add next.

As you are 10+ years with us I hope you agree that we mostly deliver what we say (in this case what we missed)?
Best regards,
Peke
MediaMonkey Team lead QA/Tech Support guru
Admin of Free MediaMonkey addon Site HappyMonkeying
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terryo
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052]

Post by terryo »

I receive a new album.
I standardize the folder and file names to my format and copy it into 1 of the 47 genre folders I keep on my 4 TB media drive.

In MM4, I click Add/Rescan:
on the file tree, I click on the genre, click on the album and click to add it. Three clicks.

In MM5, I click Add/Rescan:
I click on add location, click on Local Storage, click on my music drive, click on Library folder, click on one of the 47 genres, click on the album, click to return to the Add/Rescan page, click on scan now. Eights clicks whereas MM4 took three. In addition MM5 then churns again through everything on the locations list unless I uncheck or delete things which adds even more clicks.

I process a lot of individual albums every month to many of the 47 genres I list in my library. There were two things I would have loved to see changed in MM4 to expedite my work, but MM5 went the other way and made this task more difficult.

The two things I would have changed in the add/rescan function of MM4 were:
1. A option for a larger dialog/tree box allowing me to see more genres and/or albums on the media tree. Multiple columns would be great.
2. An option for automatic uncheck and collapse the tree from the previous use of add/rescan.

Don't get me wrong, there are many palpable and subtle changes in MM5 that I love and probably more that have not filtered into my usage habits. MM is a filing and search workhorse for my still growing and elaborately tagged 260,000 track library. More work on a key task like this one is not an attractive feature of MM5.
yarguy
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Re: Add/Rescan files is clunky in MM5 [#18052]

Post by yarguy »

Using MM5

"I receive a new album"
I download it - or rip it - into C:\New Music\ (dbpoweramp rips to there automatically and winrar is set to extract to here for zipped downloads)
I click on File - Add/Rescan
C:\New Music\ is already checked
Click scan now
Open auto playlist Added Today (includes all files in C:\New Music\)
Check properties of new additions and modify/add any that need adjusting (Bandcamp is especially poor on metadata) - if it is classical I will have used already MP3TAG to add Work and Part metadata - MM5 should add this, too, and make use of it
Select the new files and Auto-organize - the mask ensures that the tracks go into the proper folder with the standard format

Exactly the same steps I followed in MM4 (oh, yes, the biggest difference is that I click OK in MM4 and Scan Now in MM5)

The only problem I have is that Auto-organise is the first menu item under Tools in MM5 and third in MM4 and mouse-memory sometimes betrays me

I suppose I should add that I do not use folders to select music to play. That is what metadata is for.
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